The thing I remember is seeing (iirc) multiple witnesses reporting (on camera) a missile immediately after the event, but then nothing at all like that from day two onward in the coverage. It always felt off to me. At least if that's really how the coverage was and it's not just my memory twisting things over time...

I remember seeing an interview of a couple people that were on a boat out in the ocean, claiming they seen what looked like a surface to air missile being launched.

This is actually quite funny, and true. She's the only person I've ever put on ignore in 16 years. I'm safe :D

Yep !:thumb:

hate to be a conspiracy theorist but shit like this smells of intentional scattered incomplete information.. gov't is known for that.

I remember that true. I have always thought it was brought down by a missile.

was it a cooking show?

Conclusions

The NTSB investigation ended with the adoption of its final report on August 23, 2000. In it the Board determined that the probable cause of the TWA 800 accident was

[An] explosion of the center wing fuel tank (CWT), resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank. The source of ignition energy for the explosion could not be determined with certainty, but, of the sources evaluated by the investigation, the most likely was a short circuit outside of the CWT that allowed excessive voltage to enter it through electrical wiring associated with the fuel quantity indication system.

In addition to the probable cause, the NTSB found the following contributing factors to the accident

The design and certification concept that fuel tank explosions could be prevented solely by precluding all ignition sources.
The certification of the Boeing 747 with heat sources located beneath the CWT with no means to reduce the heat transferred into the CWT or to render the fuel tank vapor non-combustible.

Nope. Gravity.

My dad was a TWA Maintenance Inspector as well. They most likely worked together.

Most likely so. Those were the days free airline travel. Sadly I didn't take advantage like my brother did.

We did a lot. But I was so glad when I could afford to buy my own ticket. Can't tell you how many hours we spent trying to fly somewhere. /shudder

Yes the standby was brutal at times. At the time my dad was like in top 5 TWA wide in seniority so that helped. Dad mad us wear a suit and tie to fly lol since we were representing the airline.

Yea that was one of the rules. At least a tie. My dad was pretty high too I think. And a traveling family of four helped, ironically.

Dad retired in 1982 then pretty much took another job as head of the Sav a Connie restoration. He did all the paper work getting FAA air worthiness approval for commercial flight for the only flying Constellation at the time left. He did the inspections and wrote the job procedures for routine maintenance on it. Up till his Death in 2006 he pretty much lived at the KC Airline History Museum. He is one of these dudes below.
http://www.amtausa.com/honor2.html
http://www.amtausa.com/honor21.jpg